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The CSS Virginia was the Confederate States Navy's first ironclad warship, and the first ironclad warship in North America. (The first ironclad ever was the Gloire built by France.) It was built by incorporating the wrecked hull of a scuttled United States Navy ship, the USS Merrimac. In March 1862 it battled the USS Monitor at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in the world's first battle between armored warships. It was a stalemate, with both ships surviving the battle, though they would both be destroyed in separate incidents later in the same year. In popular culture, this battle is often referred to by the half-accurate title "Monitor and Merrimac" due to the attractive alliteration of this phrase.

CSS Virginia in Southern Victory[]

The CSS Virginia became something of a legend in the Confederate States Navy. The Order of the Virginia, the second-highest award bestowed by the CS Navy after the Confederate Cross, was named for it, and the medal worn by those who win the award features the ship's likeness.

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